It’s officially August—which means there’s just a few, short glorious weeks to enjoy summer entertaining in all its warm-weather forms: a barbecue in the backyard, a garden party on the lawn, a clambake on the beach, cocktails on the porch, or a wedding dinner under the stars.

To inspire your gatherings, Vogue tapped the creative and curious minds of our favorite entertainers, tastemakers, and interior designers and asked them to create their dream dinner party tables—and impart their best hosting tips—for all of the above. (You can’t go wrong with a lot of flowers, and don’t underestimate UberEats.)

Kendall Knox, Olive Ateliers

Photo: Courtesy of Olive Ateliers

Her perfect summer table, explained: “An old wood or stone table, no tablecloth—just red wine rings, candle wax from too many late nights, and whatever the sun’s done to it over the years. Fresh-cut hydrangeas or whatever’s growing in the garden that week. Plates stacked at one end, not set. Bowls of peaches, the good salt within arm’s reach, and linen napkins.”

Go-to table styling trick: “It should feel like you pulled it all together five minutes before everyone sat down—that’s the charm, even if it’s not the case. I tablescape in layers for an imperfect result: a couple of hero vintage vessels, sometimes filled with florals, sometimes left empty. Breadboards act as my base layers for serving bowls—they break up the table visually and double as catch-alls. And whatever you do, make sure your guests can see each other across the table. If the decor gets in the way of a good conversation, it’s gotta go.”

Favorite summer meal to serve: “An heirloom tomato salad, or some sort of stone fruit situation with basil and good olive oil. A baguette or loaf of olive bread torn straight onto the table (dip it in the tomato juices at the bottom of the salad bowl). Aperol spritzes with a wedge of citrus, and maybe a chilled bottle of vino verde within reach. There’s always something sweet in the fridge, just in case the night runs long—a stack of chocolate, gelato, or whatever I didn’t get around to serving last time.”